Meteor Shower?

[SpaceGeek]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Leonids meteor shower supposed to peak on Thursday with 100 meteors per hour?

If it is, why isn't anyone talking 'bout it? :confuse2:

[fringe_dweller]

SpaceGeek - the Leonids this year peak with a bright moon interfering with successful observations on the morning of the 18th local time being the best day perhaps - a visual count of maybe around 10 or less per hour we could expect from our southern latitudes. The Leonids are fading in comparison to the other major showers - we find the Geminids in December the best shower to view for regular action these days - but even they are affected by the moon this year - unless you wait till very early morning maybe. The Geminids are best when the radiant is at its highest in the sky from your location of course.

[Greg Bryant]

To add further to what Kearn has said, the "100 per hour" refers to a predicted very short spike that some astronomers suspect will happen next year - the last hurrah of this epoch's strong Leonid showers associated with the return of Tempel-Tuttle. Unfortunately, that short spike next year is not predicted to occur at a convenient time for us - Europe and North Africa will be better placed.